The Silent Hero
by YolkaEd
Summary: Number V, The Silent Hero, Lexaeus. What would his story be, if his demise at Castle Oblivion never happened?
1. Deeds To Be Done

"Roxas, I've decided to pair you with Lexaeus for today's mission. Come see me when you're ready."

The Silent Hero flinched upon hearing those words. He hadn't planned for accompanying the newest member of the Organization at all. As far as he was concerned, the boy didn't need any special training; Axel, Marluxia, Zexion, Larxene and Vexen had already given him enough training in the field. With a glance towards the Luna Diviner, he frowned. Since when did he become Xemnas' lapdog?

As Saïx walked off, the young Nobody meekly glanced towards Lexaeus, who simply looked back at him with a look of indifference; as is usual for Nobodies. Rubbing the back of his neck, the smaller Keyblade wielder glanced away from the bigger Nobody. The fact that Lexaeus was easily the tallest of the thirteen- or, to be precise, fourteen- was more than enough to intimidate him.

Scoffing, Lexaeus glanced towards one of the sofas in the Grey Area, where, sure enough, Zexion was sitting with his nose in a book. As Roxas still seemed a bit uncomfortable with the bigger Nobody, Lexaeus approached the Cloaked Schemer. "…yes, what is it?" Zexion mused, without even glancing at Lexaeus. "Don't waste my time with idle chatter."

"…Zexion." Lexaeus began, as he glanced towards Roxas, who had gotten dragged into a small conversation with Marluxia. "…you've heard the rumors?"

"Regarding number XIII?" Zexion mused, as he regarded a simply glance at the Silent Hero from the corner of his eyes. "It seems that the Superior has his plans for him, along with number XIV…"

"…strange. He hasn't told me anything about it." Lexaeus hummed, as he folded his arms.

"Strange; I'd assume that he would indulge you, at least. Vexen seems to know more about the two than you and me." Zexion said with a shrug, returning his glance towards the book. "Though… Vexen tells me that Xemnas might just tell me more of them…"

"E-excuse me." Blinking, Lexaeus glanced behind him, seeing the young Nobody look up at him.

"…I trust you're ready?" Lexaeus presumed, as the young Nobody nodded. "…I se. Go and have Saïx prepare a gateway. I'll be with you soon enough." With one more nod, the Keyblade wielder approached the Luna Diviner.

"…Limit Breaks." Zexion said, without even regarding Lexaeus a glance. "That's what you'll teach him today, Lexaeus." As he spoke, he closed his eyes. "…don't break him."

"…I'll be gentle." Lexaeus nodded, as he regarded a nod to Zexion. "I'll see you later, then." Then, he turned, and walked towards Saïx, who had opened a gateway of darkness, which Roxas already had entered.

"Numbers XIII and XIV…" Hearing that, Lexaeus looked towards the pink-haired Nobody, who was standing on his own by a table, chuckling to himself. "…how utterly fascinating…"

Lexaeus frowned. Out of all the Organization members, there were a few that Lexaeus didn't exactly trust… and Marluxia could possibly be the main offender in that area. He had this traitorous spirit to him… he'd make sure to keep an eye out on the Graceful Assassin.

* * *

Twilight Town's Sandlot. Lexaeus didn't know how many times Roxas had to be dragged into this area for his training, but Lexaeus didn't seem to mind. As the portal closed behind the two, Lexaeus glanced around the area.

"…so… um…" Blinking, Lexaeus looked down at Roxas, who desperately wanted to come up with a topic of conversation. If Lexaeus had a heart, he'd probably feel the same awkwardness that the younger Nobody did.

"…do you know what a Limit Break is, Roxas?" Lexaeus immediately said; for him, waiting to get information out of the way was a huge no-go. He always went straight on with business.

"…n-no?" Roxas uttered, as he tilted his head.

Lexaeus merely sighed at this. "A Limit Break is the most powerful move at your disposal; one that only works when you're on your last legs." he explained, as he folded his arms. He swore, if there was a way he could get back at Saïx for throwing him into this without preparation time…

At that point, erupting from the ground, was a massive, imp-like creature made out of nothing but darkness; a regular Shadow Heartless, whose power had increased tenfold. "…a Heartless." Roxas uttered.

Seeing this Mega-Shadow, Lexaeus hummed. "…time for some practical application." he hummed, before summoning his prized Axe Sword, Skysplitter.

Blinking, Roxas looked back up at Lexaeus. "…are you gonna-"

Before the younger Nobody could even react, Lexaeus mercilessly slammed the axe sword against Roxas back, sending him tumbling face-first to the ground. _...that should do it._ the Silent Hero thought, weighing Centurion on his shoulder.

Breathing heavily, Roxas weakly got back on his feet, rubbing his back in pain, as he glared at Lexaeus. "…mutt muzz zat for?" he yelled; however, the massive impact had managed to rupture the boy's lips, tampering with his speech.

"…aren't you on your last legs?" Lexaeus mused, as he aimed Skysplitter at the large Heartless, who had become intrigued by Lexaeus' unorthodox tactic. "Now, I want you to use your Limit Break to destroy that Heartless."

"…eezy for u to suy!" Roxas grumbled, as he wiped blood off his lips, as he summoned his Keyblade; the moment he did, however, he stumbled forward, his legs trembling from Lexaeus' attack. Noticing the weakness in Roxas, the large Heartless immediately lunged for him, forcing Roxas to try and roll out of the way; he only barely made it away from the Shadow, however, causing it to rip a gash in his cloak.

Watching the fight, Lexaeus placed Skysplitter on the ground, before he folded his arms. _…he's weakened… did I overdo it?_ he thought, as he saw that Roxas got up on his feet again, glaring at the Shadow.

Gritting his teeth, Roxas began focusing light around the Keyblade, which seemed t agitate the Heartless even more. "…Event… Horizon!" As he said this, Roxas leapt towards the massive Heartless, before rapidly slashing the enhanced Keyblade at the shadowy monster. In no less than ten seconds, the monster evaporated into dust.

As the Shadow vanished, Lexaeus clapped his hands together. "Well fought." he said with a nod.

Still breathing heavily, Roxas glanced at Lexaeus. "…yeah?" he uttered, before collapsing to his knees.

"…Organization members are often asked to conduct solo missions." Lexaeus began, as he approached Roxas, before handing him a small, green bottle with some form of liquid in it. "The only person you can count on out here is yourself."

Nodding, Roxas took the bottle, before gulping down its contents, the ruptured lip magically healing itself. "…so I've noticed." Roxas muttered, as he rubbed his neck. "…nngh…"

"…you and that Keyblade are invaluable to the Organization." Lexaeus said, as he helped Roxas get back on his feet, brushing dust off his cloak. "With your job, however, comes risk. Each mission will pit you against more and more Heartless."

"And I have to face them if we're gonna complete Kingdom Hearts, right?" Roxas said, as he looked up at the Silent Hero.

Lexaeus, at first, didn't answer, as he merely closed his eyes. "…correct." he eventually nodded.

Nodding, Roxas soon tilted his head. "…so… what happens when Kingdom Hearts is finished?" he inquired. "What good does that do us?"

"…we… will unite with it." Lexaeus muttered, as Roxas seemed to notice a small smirk cross the Nobody's lips. "You and I… will gain hearts of our own."

Roxas could only blink at this, as he folded his arms. "I don't understand…"

"When the time comes, you will." Lexaeus soon replied, placing a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "In the meantime, there are deeds to be done… and only you can do them."

"…so you need me." Roxas presumed.

Lexaeus blinked, before chuckling. _…this boy… he's a sharp one._ "…yes." he muttered with a nod.

"…these deeds…" Roxas began, as he looked away from Lexaeus. "…are they good deeds?"

Lexaeus hummed. Whether or not the Organization collected hearts for the purpose of being whole, there was no telling what they would need to do to obtain this goal… "…good for the Organization." he eventually said, before turning away, opening a gateway of darkness. "…we should return."

"…right." Nodding, Roxas walked into the dark portal, leaving Lexaeus behind.

With a small sigh, Lexaeus folded his arms. "…good deeds…" he hummed, before chuckling. "…I might have been wrong about the Key of Destiny… I'll need to see how he develops. It could be interesting…" With a nod, Lexaeus walked through the portal as well.


	2. Larxene

Five days had passed since Lexaeus had taught Roxas about the art of Limit Breaks. Since then, Roxas had been on missions with Axel, Larxene and Marluxia, and had even wagered a bet with Luxord on whether or not he could last a full minute against a horde of dusks.

From what Lexaeus heard, Roxas lasted a whole hour.

Today, Zexion and Roxas had been paired together by Saïx, which left Lexaeus without someone to have a proper conversation with. Apparently, a powerful Heartless had shown up since Roxas and Marluxia left Twilight Town the day before, and Zexion was issued to help Roxas harvest that heart.

That left Lexaeus on his own in the Grey Room, as he had not been assigned a mission, yet. The only noise in the room came from Luxord shuffling his deck of cards, Fair Game, and Demyx plinking away at his sitar, Arpeggio. He would have taken the time to inspect Skysplitter, to see if his axe sword had been damaged, but he found himself absorbed in a book instead, reading through it at a slow pace.

"Ah, Lexaeus." Blinking, the Silent Hero glanced away from his book, seeing that number IV, Vexen, entered the Grey Room, a couple of documents both held in his right hand, and held in place underneath his left arm. "Zexion's left for his mission, I take it?"

"…yes." Lexaeus nodded, as he glanced at Demyx and Luxord, neither of them paying any heed to the beginning conversation between him and Vexen. "…is there something on your mind, Vexen?"

"Actually, yes." Vexen nodded, as he looked through some of the documents he held. "I've spoken with Xemnas, and he intends to send a few of us to Castle Oblivion in the near future."

Lexaeus hummed at that, catching a glimpse of Demyx visibly panicking just at the thought of it, as he had stopped playing on his sitar. "…who will be going?"

"Apart from me, it's currently undecided." Vexen hummed, before sighing. "Though, I have a feeling that you and Zexion will be accompanying me."

"…I see." Lexaeus hummed, as he looked back at his book, flipping a page. "I'll let Zexion know once he returns."

"Lexaeus." Hearing that voice, Lexaeus nearly flinched; Saïx called for him from the entrance. "Go to the Hall of Empty Melodies." the Luna Diviner said bluntly, before turning and leaving.

"…hmph… that Saïx…" Vexen muttered, gritting his teeth. "…can't even show his seniors any respect…"

"…he's likely just relaying a message from Xemnas." Lexaeus hummed, as he placed the book on the table, before standing up. "Though, I do wonder what he wants me to do in the hall…"

"As curious as it is, you won't find out if you stay here." Blinking, Lexaeus glanced towards Luxord, who was still shuffling his deck. "Go on; it could be interesting." he said, before glancing at Demyx. "Care to bet on what Lexaeus will be facing in the hall?"

"No thanks, man." Demyx said as he shook his head. "I'm still working overtime to try to repay that debt you stuck me with the last time I wagered a bet with you."

"…tsch…" Scoffing, Vexen turned and headed for the doorway. "Don't get yourself hurt, Lexaeus." he said, before leaving.

Lexaeus hummed, as he glanced back at Demyx and Luxord, both of them having returned to their little activities. With a small nod to them, Lexaeus opened a gateway of darkness next to him, before entering it.

* * *

Stepping into the Hall of Empty Melodies, Lexaeus glanced around him, wondering just what Saïx wanted him to do here. _…no sign of him anywhere…_ he thought, before pinching the bridge of his nose. _…what could Xemnas possibly want me to-_

"Oh, you're kidding me." Hearing that voice, Lexaeus looked to the side, where he saw number XII stand with an annoyed look on her face. "Not only does Saïx want me to train, but it's with the big oaf?" Scoffing, Larxene folded her arms, looking away from the Silent Hero. "Sheesh… what, does he intend to have him crush me?"

"…I'm right here, you know." Lexaeus uttered, not exactly flattered by Larxene's comments. Then again, he didn't take offense to it either, but he still found it rather rude of the Savage Nymph to ignore his presence. _…is this the way Vexen has it when ignored by those of lower rank?_ he thought.

"I know…" Larxene muttered, before she looked back at Lexaeus. "So, doofus, it looks like Saïx wants us to spar. But I don't exactly feel like having tons of metal slammed down on me, so don't even think about bringing out that club of yours!"

"…you don't wish me to call forth Skysplitter?" Lexaeus presumed, before he folded his arms. "…but I can only assume that you're going to use your Foudre knives."

"Well, obviously." Larxene scoffed, as she walked up to Lexaeus, looking up at him. "…why are you so big, anyway?"

"…I was created that way." Lexaeus replied dryly, merely looking down at Larxene. Along with Marluxia, Larxene simply rubbed Lexaeus the wrong way; she had a spirit similar to the Graceful Assassin, which was disconcerting.

"…tsch… you're boring." Larxene scoffed, as she turned around, preparing to walk away from Lexaeus. However, all of a sudden, a glint appeared in her eyes, as she quickly spun around, summoning her knives, before stabbing her right hand forward, with the intention of stabbing the Silent Hero.

However, surprisingly enough, Lexaeus simply grabbed hold of Larxene's wrist before she could reach him, keeping her at bay. "…did you really think that would work?" he hummed.

Gritting her teeth, Larxene pulled on her arm, trying to pry herself free from Lexaeus' grip; however, he was far too strong for her to free herself from. "Agh- let go, already!" she spat, glaring up at Lexaeus with a scornful look.

Lexaeus, however, simply returned a neutral look down at her. "…dispel the knives, first." he said calmly.

With a snarl, Larxene reeled her leg backwards, still not looking away from the Silent Hero. "…screw you!" she yelled, before swinging her leg at Lexaeus, striking his side.

However, that amounted to absolutely nothing but pain for the Savage Nymph; Lexaeus simply didn't budge from this attack, and there wasn't even the faintest hint of a flinch on his face. Seeing that Larxene desperately tried holding in the pain rushing through her body, he sighed. "…I'm not letting go until you dispel your knives." he said.

Snarling, Larxene closed her eyes, as her Foudre knives vanished in a spark of electricity. As Lexaeus finally let her go, she stepped away from him, rubbing her wrist in pain. "…you're like a goddamn brick wall, Lexaeus." she hissed.

"…no one's called me that before." the Silent Hero hummed, as he folded his arms, whilst Larxene sat down on the ground, rubbing her leg in pain. "…you'll be alright?"

"Yeah, yeah… just don't bug me, alright?" Larxene muttered, without looking up at Lexaeus. "…say… how'd you lose your heart, big guy?"

With a slight frown, Lexaeus glanced away from Larxene. "…I don't talk about that." he muttered.

"You don't?" Larxene mused, before scoffing. "Tsch… you're so boring. I can't even torment you like with Demyx…"

"…are you going to get back up, soon?" Lexaeus inquired, as he looked back down at Larxene, while he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah…" Larxene muttered, as she slowly got up, wincing slightly due to the pain lingering in her leg. "…let's just get this stupid sparring over with, so I can go back to Marluxia…"

"…Marluxia…" Lexaeus hummed, before he folded his arms. "…you two are close, aren't you? Ever since Xigbar brought you to the castle…"

"Well, he _is_ the only one around here who's not either boring or a complete jackass." Larxene muttered. "…though… that Key of Destiny's kinda interesting, too…"

"…you mean Roxas?" Lexaeus hummed, before folding his arms. "…strange. If what Xigbar told us was true, when you trained Roxas in the art of magic, you said something about Roxas not even being mediocre at eliminating Heartless, and that, and I quote, 'we're in deep shit' if he was the Keyblade wielder we would count on."

Larxene reeled back at that comment, as she could only look up at Lexaeus. "…for a silent hero, you sure don't act the part." she muttered, before turning away from Lexaeus. "…but he has shown some progress. He took care of the Watchers in Twilight Town without even asking me for help, and he did it in record time, too." Then, she glanced back at Lexaeus with a clever smirk. "Maybe some of us could take him as an example?"

Lexaeus frowned. True, among the 13 members, his seat in Where Nothing Gathers were among the lowest; though, this was not because of him being inept or inefficient, but because he'd often take his time with the mission, sullying his track record somewhat. Personally, he felt that it was nothing but a formality; he was among the strongest of the Organization in terms of brute force, so Heartless elimination was but a trivial task.

"Hmm… did I touch a nerve?" Larxene giggled, as she turned to face Lexaeus again, approaching the Silent Hero with a feisty smirk. "No comeback line for that remark?"

"…some of us could take him as an example." Lexaeus eventually said, as he closed his eyes. "For instance, he doesn't exactly flap his gums incessantly, does he?"

One could almost see a vein pop on Larxene's forehead, as she glared at the Silent Hero. "…wicked tongue, you big lug." she hissed, as she clenched her hands into fists. "Maybe you ought to hang the coat up, and try your hand at standup?" Then, as electricity crackles around her fists, she suddenly shot an arc of lightning right at Lexaeus.

However, the Silent Hero quickly summoned his axe sword, letting the lightning simply bounce off the thick metal of his weapon. As he saw Larxene's stunned expression, he wasted no time. With an underhanded swing, he allowed Skysplitter to scrape along the ground, before he slashed upwards, cracking the floor up as it rushed at Larxene like a wave.

Having not anticipated him summoning his weapon, Larxene was struck by this wave of ground, knocking her off her feet and sending her tumbling onto the ground, where she landed on her back. "…ow… why'd you summon that damn club of yours?" she groaned, rubbing her back in pain.

"…if I hadn't, I'd have been damaged by your attack." Lexaeus uttered as if he was simply stating the obvious (which, admittedly, he did), before he approached Larxene, reaching his free hand down to her. "…do you need a hand?"

"Mnh… why so helpful, all of a sudden?" Larxene uttered, as she looked up at Lexaeus with a frown. "…oh, _ugh._ Dream on, number V; it's never gonna happen." she spat, before she got back up on her own. "Like anyone would wanna get together with a fossil like you." she muttered.

"...I don't think I quite qualify as a fossil, number XII." Lexaeus noted dryly. "Though, I would like to know why you jumped to that conclusion, considering that we wouldn't have any need for that; especially since we don't have hearts."

"You don't need a heart just to satisfy your cravings." Larxene countered, as she folded her arms. "If that was the case, then maybe we should stop eating until our little cronies get Kingdom Hearts up and running?"

While Lexaeus intended to counter what little defense Larxene had mustered, what she said intrigued him. "…cronies is plural…" he hummed. "…so… are you saying that there's more than one Keyblade wielder in our ranks?"

Looking up at Lexaeus, Larxene frowned. "Mind your own beeswax, oaf." she hissed, before folding her arms. "…kkh… I'm sick of this. I'm calling it a day." she muttered, before she began walking away, though not before shoving something into Lexaeus' hands. "If you don't tell anyone that I ditched this lame-ass sparring session, you can keep that."

Blinking, Lexaeus looked down at what Larxene had given him; a yellow vial containing some form of liquid. With a small sigh, he glanced behind him just in time to see her head towards Naught's Skyway. _…I assume that she's going to see Marluxia…_ he thought, as he opened a gateway of darkness. _…those two… I have a bad feeling, regarding them…_ With that thought in mind, he entered the gateway, as it closed behind him.

"…number V." As he left, someone entered the Hall of Empty Melodies, as he folded his arms. "…he is close to number VI. Once that mission comes along… I'll need to have Axel find a way to deal with him, too." As it turned out, it was Saïx, who looked at where Lexaeus had once stood. "It needs to be done… I cannot have him foil our plans."


	3. Marluxia

Following the spar between the Silent Hero and the Savage Nymph four days ago, Lexaeus found himself at a loss for much of anything to do. Coincidentally enough, both Vexen and Zexion had been called off to various missions; Zexion doing recon in a different world, and Vexen conducting his experiments elsewhere, as he usually did.

The present company wasn't much to speak of either; only a select few individuals, himself included, were currently lounging in the Grey Area. There was Demyx, procrastinating the day away whilst playing with his Arpeggio as always, Xaldin, who seemed to have little room for conversation with Lexaeus this day, and Xigbar, who was the one responsible for keeping Xaldin away from Lexaeus, as they were involved in a conversation all on their own.

The Silent Hero couldn't help but shake his head somewhat at the lack of proper present company. It was a shame, really; from what he could see, the Organization was bound together by a band of miscreants seeking only personal gain, or rather not caring one bit for the well-being of the other members of the Organization. His eyes closed; Vexen and Zexion were really the only two that he properly conversed with, and among them, Zexion was really the only one he could trust. Roxas and the newcomer weren't really part of his broader scope, with them only having been in the Organization for less than a month and all.

In his eyes, the rest of the Organization were of different, mismatched colors; Xigbar had a habit of playing others around him like the violin, Xaldin's brutal honesty left him somewhat unpopular amongst the other members, Saïx seemed far too close to the Superior for his liking, Axel was pretty much the most unpredictable Nobody he knew, Demyx was an underachiever of the highest caliber, Luxord never really seemed to take anything seriously, Larxene had this uncontrollable, sadistic edge to her, and then there was the very worst of the bunch...

"Lexaeus." The overall silence of the Grey Area was cut short by the smooth, sugary tone of the Graceful Assassin, slowly sauntering towards the one couch Lexaeus was occupying on his own. His expression remained unchanged as he glanced up at Number XI, who merely looked down at him with that false, insufferable smirk of his. "I do hope I'm not disturbing..."

"...not at all." Lexaeus spoke in a wary tone; gaze fixated at the rose pink-haired Nobody standing above him. Even with that smirk crossing his lips, his tone exhibited little emotion, as it usually did. Fitting, given his status as a Nobody, but even Lexaeus found the combination of that smirk and that tone to be unsettling. "Is there anything on your mind, Number XI?"

"...I would like to take a walk with you." Marluxia spoke; an elegant bow made as a gesture of politeness to his superior. "Larxene is on duty, which has left me bereft of company..."

"...I see..." Lexaeus nodded, before glancing away from the lower-ranked Nobody; a thoughtful look crossing his face. "...I will have to think about it."

"Splendid." Marluxia chuckled, as he formed a dark corridor right next to where he stood. "Pass through here when you wish to join me." With that, he turned to wander out of the Grey Area, leaving the Silent Hero be on his own.

"...geez, harsh." Lexaeus turned to look towards the Melodious Nocturne the instant he had said that, and the instant his solid gaze crossed that of Number IX, Demyx flinched in panic. "Uh, I mean... because you have to deal with Marly and all. It's gotta be harsh dealing with that kinda personality."

"Maybe you should go hang with him instead, Demyx?" A faint chuckle escaped Xigbar's lips as he cast a glance over his shoulder to the reeling musician. "I'm sure it'd be a change from all the nothing you're piddling with."

"Hey, I'm not piddling with nothing; I'm _practicing _with piddling with nothing." Demyx retorted, as if that really mattered at all. "Can't skip out on duties if I'm not prepared, you know."

"...the Superior wouldn't be happy about that." Xaldin shot in with a rather droll scoff, as his gaze fell on Lexaeus for the first time this day. "Will you go?"

Lexaeus glanced towards the Whirlwind Lancer, before his gaze fell on the dark portal. Honestly, after the spar with Larxene, the last thing he thought he'd be doing would be to take a stroll with Marluxia, of all people... and why him? Why would Marluxia single him out of everyone else in the castle? Though in hindsight, as he thought about it... he didn't really have much else to tinker with before the following day would come.

"...I suppose I will." With a small nod, Lexaeus rose from his seat, whilst cracking his neck ever so slightly. "It would be best to get something out of the day, rather than accomplishing nothing."

"Good on ya, champ." Xigbar chuckled, as he smirked back at the Silent Hero with a small nod. "Make sure not to make a mess of the surroundings like yesterday, you hear? Saïx put me on double-duty to fix the floor up when you and Larxene were done."

A small hum escaped Xaldin's lips, as he folded his arms. "...perhaps, Lexaeus, this could be a chance to inquire into Number XI's intentions." he spoke. "He's never been open with any of us... take this as an opportunity."

Lexaeus simply hummed upon hearing Xaldin's suggestion, before his gaze fell back on the dark portal. Seeing it swirl before him, he merely nodded, before slowly wandering within it. The instant his black cloak had fully vanished within it, it closed itself off automatically.

"...you guys think he's actually gonna ask Marly about anything like that?" Demyx hummed somewhat incredulously, as he tilted his head.

"Hey, we'll see." Xigbar chuckled, as he rubbed his neck. "Lexaeus is a smart guy; he'll talk when he knows it's time to talk."

"...if Number XI would share that same sentiment..." Xaldin mused, as he closed his eyes. "...it may prove beneficial to us..."

* * *

When he emerged from the gateway of darkness, Lexaeus immediately noticed the choice of locale; the Memory's Skyscraper. Specifically, it was the courtyard immediately in front of the towering building on the outskirts of the Castle That Never Was, which, as any other day, seemed in general disarray. Lexaeus still wondered how this world even came to be, or rather _not_ to be, as it was a testament to nonexistence in general...

...but his introspective thoughts would have to wait, as the instant the dark portal faded into nothing behind him, a sudden sharp sensation edged against the edge of his throat. "...so slow." that same emotionless, yet somehow silky-smooth tone mused from behind him, and Lexaeus hissed somewhat as his gaze fell down upon the pink blade of a scythe edged far too close to his flesh for any form of comfort to be found.

"...your idea of a stroll is to threaten someone with higher rank?" Lexaeus hummed, as his gaze edged away from the deadly weapon back to its just-as-deadly wielder; shooting a fierce glare at Marluxia's rather aloof expression as he was being held up by this vicious weapon. "You could have said so from the start."

"Stone-faced, even when facing demise..." Marluxia cracked a smirk as he kept the scythe blade pressed against Lexaeus' throat. "...The Silent Hero in a nutshell, wouldn't you say, Number V?"

"...hm." An unimpressed scoff emerged from Lexaeus, as his gaze fell down on the scythe still pushed against him. "Is there a reason for this holdup, Number XI?"

"Retribution, you could say." Marluxia mused, as he still watched the Silent Hero with some manner of caution; with someone of this stature, being cautious and cunning was his best bet. "You wounded my dear Larxene the day before, did you not?"

"...take that up with Saïx, Number XI." Lexaeus murmured, as he glared down at the opposing weapon with a small scowl. "He set us up to spar."

"Oh, is it Number VII's fault, hm?" Marluxia let out a callous chuckle, before the scythe dematerialized in a shower of rose petals. "My sincerest apologies, Number V. I must be mistaken..."

Lexaeus' eyes narrowed. With that manner of tone, he had a feeling that Marluxia was far from sincere, even as he could hear his feet clicking against the concrete below them, as if he was wandering off...

"...indeed you are." With a swift hum, Lexaeus summoned forth his trusty axe sword, and spun around _just_ in the nick of time before the pink blade of the Graceful Dahlia could make contact with the Silent Hero's body; having Skysplitter deflect the blade of the scythe to make Marluxia reel back a touch.

"...you're learning." Marluxia couldn't help but chuckle as he spun the scythe around a touch, before dismissing it once more. "I can't help but feel flattered that I'm helping you learn something, Number V."

Lexaeus' eyes narrowed; a compliment from Marluxia was always hard to decipher, as one couldn't tell if he was being sincere or snide with that accursed tone of his. "...I don't require your teachings." he spoke, as he dismissed Skysplitter whilst still giving Marluxia a stern gaze.

"Oh." With a small smirk, Marluxia moved a hand to softly rub against his own chin. "Confident in your abilities, are we? Arrogance is a thing to be wary of, Number V."

"...perhaps you could benefit from that advice more than me, Number XI." Lexaeus spoke once more, as he folded his arms. "Are we done with this charade?"

"Hardly." Marluxia couldn't help but chuckle, before he summoned his scythe yet again. "I suppose now that the curtain has been drawn, you would be inclined to spar with me. By all means, feel free to go all-out."

"...reckless arrogance..." Lexaeus mused, as he eventually summoned forth his axe sword in response. "...a dangerous combination."

"So you say." Marluxia mused, as another smirk crossed his lips. "...though I am curious, Number V... the Superior aside, which member of the Organization would you say is the strongest?"

Lexaeus' eyes narrowed further, and a small hum escaped his lips in turn. "...what do you mean?"

"You are renowned for your brute strength and incredible resilience when it comes to vanquishing Heartless..." Marluxia mused, as he kept the Graceful Dahlia aimed directly at Lexaeus while he continued the conversation. "...though from where your throne stands, one wouldn't exactly assume that. Only Vexen and Demyx is below you... how does that make you feel, oh Silent Hero?"

Lexaeus remained silent, as he still gave Marluxia a stern look. Really, that sort of thing didn't faze him all that much; how high or low their thrones in the round room had no real significance to his effectiveness on the field. "...this is a trick question, I assume."

"Clever." With that, Marluxia spun his scythe around a touch, whilst cracking his neck. "But let us match blades, to see who among us would be the strongest."

Lexaeus' eyes closed briefly, as he held his prized Skysplitter at the ready. It seemed like Marluxia was intent on battling him no matter what... "...if that is what you wish." He was not one for pointless combat, but, like the day before, this was a spar. He could use the exercise; it would temper his body to be more efficient on the field of battle.

Another hallow chuckle escaped Marluxia's lips, as he suddenly stopped spinning the Graceful Dahlia. "…then prepare yourself, Number V." With that, he lunged forward; swinging the scythe in a wide arc towards Lexaeus.

The strike was blocked with a lone movement from Lexaeus' hand hoisting up the heavier axe sword; causing the blade of the scythe to faintly bounce off it. Taking this opportunity, Lexaeus immediately threw a punch for Marluxia, but the Nobody swiftly vanished into thin air before the punch could hit.

A battle cry was what alerted Lexaeus to Marluxia's current position; forcing him to swing Skysplitter against the pink scythe once more before it could hit him from behind. Just from observing Marluxia's tactics in this battle, Lexaeus began pondering the manner of strategy to use. Both Skysplitter and the Graceful Dahlia were unwieldy weapons by nature, due to the former's weight and the latter being an impractical weapon to begin with; the difference being that Marluxia had the advantage in reach. Teleporting, in turn, also gave the Graceful Assassin a distinct advantage in that he could keep out of Lexaeus' more limited reach.

It seemed like Lexaeus would have to think outside of the box; to find a way to get within reach of Marluxia before the scythe could land a fatal blow against him.

Grunting, Lexaeus swiftly leapt away from Marluxia, before hurling his Skysplitter at such an angle that it seemed like he would strike his opponent; however, with another chuckle, Marluxia warped out of sight before the axe sword could land a blow against him. It only took a second for Lexaeus to suddenly feel a familiar, sharp sensation edge against his neck.

"…sloppy, Number V." Marluxia mused, as he kept the Silent Hero in check with his scythe. "You disarmed yourself… I expected better."

"…perhaps you did." Lexaeus spoke calmly, as his gaze was currently directed ahead of him, where he could see Skysplitter still hurtling towards a building. In that instant, though, the axe sword struck the wall, and bounced directly off it towards a different building; having been tossed with such force that it still kept its momentum whilst bouncing off the buildings that formed the plaza around them.

Marluxia noticed that, and especially what it all culminated towards; after bouncing off the Memory's Skyscraper itself, the weapon was sent hurtling directly towards Lexaeus' back, where Marluxia happened to be in the way of. With a slight hiss, he immediately teleported away before the weapon could strike him, which Lexaeus took as an opportunity to grab hold of the weapon just as it got within his reach…

…and with a loud yell, he _immediately_ swung the massive weapon down into the ground in front of him.

The resulting shockwave caused the very earth itself to be torn asunder in the form of a massive shockwave, headed right in the direction of where Marluxia had reappeared. Narrowing his eyes, the Graceful Assassin swiftly swung his scythe in such a powerful motion that an energy wave rocketed from the blade and collided harshly with the shockwave Lexaeus had created; creating a blast of pressure that knocked both Nobodies away from each other as a result.

In spite of that terrible force, Marluxia's smirk still remained. "…I'm surprised. We seem to be evenly matched, Number V." he remarked ever so smugly, as a stark contrast to Lexaeus' indifferent look after they had locked attacks so ferociously.

"…being evenly matched means nothing." Lexaeus remarked, as he still kept his gaze fixated on Marluxia. "Only the victory counts."

"…right you are." With that, Marluxia closed his eyes, before he readied his scythe behind him; a powerful aura energy brimming from him. "Then let us end this charade."

"…gladly." Lexaeus scoffed, as he readied his axe sword as well; energy similar, but still different from Marluxia's, brimming from his own self as well. The two Nobodies both awaited their opponent to move, perhaps as a test of will…

…but that test wouldn't see a proper victor, as a gateway of darkness emerged between the two, and the Luna Diviner stepped out from it; an emotionless glare directed at Lexaeus. "…Number V. Number XI." he spoke. "Your presence is requested by the Superior."

Lexaeus let a small hum escape his lips, before the energy brimming around him subsided. He supposed it was fortunate that Saïx had chosen this moment to interfere, before the two powerful Nobodies would accidentally have destroyed the very city with their attack; though that didn't change the fact that it seemed… convenient for him to show up now.

"…we're expected? Oh dear." Marluxia chuckled coldly, as he swiftly dismissed his scythe. "We shouldn't keep the Superior waiting… right, Number V?" He shot a look at Lexaeus, before vanishing within a dark gateway formed behind him.

Lexaeus dismissed his own weapon at this point, before his gaze fell on Saïx. He couldn't shake the feeling that Saïx had been waiting for this moment, for some reason… it just seemed too convenient to him. His thoughts were cut short, however, when the Luna Diviner cast a look at him. "The Dusks will see to repairing the damage you two caused. Now get moving."

Were he more like Vexen, Lexaeus would have remarked that Saïx was showing little respect towards one of higher rank; but that was just not the kind of personality Lexaeus was. With a simple nod, he formed a dark gateway behind him, before vanishing within it.

As both of the Nobodies vanished, Saïx closed his eyes. "…hm. With any luck, he will be dealt with as well… if Axel does as he will be assigned…" With that remark, he faded within a portal of darkness as well.

Where Nothing Gathers; the meeting room of the Organization, meant for group meetings and discussions between the Superior and the Nobodies beneath him. As usual, he found himself sitting on the very tallest chair, reserved for him only. His gaze fell to his left, where in two of the chairs, one of them being close to the bottom and one of them nearly as tall as he sat, Nobodies took their seats. "…Marluxia. Lexaeus." His tone was deep and dull as it usually was, and his gaze signified the usual; business was about to take place.

"At your service, Superior." came the reply from Marluxia, who managed a slight bow of politeness even as he sat upright in his throne. Lexaeus regarded only a mere nod of understanding; as usual, he would like to get to the point, though he couldn't exactly say that to Xemnas' face.

"I have an assignment to the two of you." Xemnas spoke with his authoritative voice; giving both of the Nobodies the same look he gave all of his subjects. "You will accompany Vexen, Zexion and Larxene to Castle Oblivion."

Lexaeus hummed. It seemed as if Vexen's suspicions were true, after all… however, that left a burning question on his mind; what purpose did Marluxia serve at the castle? He cast a glance towards the Graceful Assassin, who couldn't help but crack a small smirk. "I see. Would you be kind to indulge us in our purpose within this castle?"

"I require a reconnaissance team to search through the castle, whilst also keeping a hold on it." Xemnas spoke further, as he nodded slowly. "You will leave in the morning. Make your preparations." His gaze fell on Lexaeus specifically. "You will be informed by Vexen when the time to RTC arrives."

"By your command, Superior." Lexaeus spoke with a small nod. He was not one to question direct orders, after all. "…may I inquire as to what we will be searching for within Castle Oblivion?"

Xemnas, however, remained silent upon Lexaeus' inquiry, as his gaze slowly fell back on Marluxia. "…keep your eyes open. The Keyblade Master has been sighted near the area of Castle Oblivion."

Marluxia hummed a touch, and rubbed his chin. "…is that so…"

Lexaeus' eyes narrowed a touch. The Keyblade Master, the one who had vanquished Maleficent and sealed Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds… different from the Kingdom Hearts they were building… a curious being.

"I trust that you will work together with the others in the castle, even with the position I'm appointing you, Marluxia." Xemnas' voice suddenly cut in, which made both Lexaeus and Marluxia gaze back upon the Superior. "You are hereby responsible for keeping the castle as our territory. I will leave it in your hands, Number XI."

"…well." A chuckle escaped Marluxia's lips, and he bowed gracefully, as he often did. "I will accept this responsibility, Superior."

Lexaeus remained neutral in expression, but mentally, he was appalled. For what purpose would Xemnas appoint someone of significantly lower rank to be the one responsible for the reconnaissance team and the castle? True, his track record was significantly more impressive than any of the three senior members going there, but there had to be something to it all…

…but, he still had no say in what the Superior deemed just. He simply nodded in understanding. "Will that be all?" he spoke.

"Indeed." Xemnas spoke slowly. "Dismissed." With that utterance, he vanished within a gateway of darkness.

"…hm… the Keyblade Master…" A chuckle escaped Marluxia's lips, as he closed his eyes. "…fascinating…"

"…why do you say that?" Lexaeus' eyes fell on Marluxia, and his eyes narrowed somewhat. He still didn't trust Marluxia, and that attitude certainly didn't help.

"…no reason, Number V." Marluxia chuckled, as he closed his eyes. "No reason at all…" With that, he vanished within a gateway of darkness himself; leaving Lexaeus alone in the room.

That left the Silent Hero to ponder the situation; five members were assigned to Castle Oblivion for a vague purpose, and the Keyblade Master was somehow involved… could it have something to do with Number XIII? From what he could surmise, the Key of Destiny _was_ the Nobody of that boy… and why Marluxia and Larxene, of all people, to accompany them? For what purpose would Xemnas see fit to have the Graceful Assassin be responsible for what would happen at the castle?

He let out a small sigh, as a gateway of darkness opened up behind him. "…how utterly curious…" With that, he vanished, to prepare for the following day…


End file.
